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Cabinet - General, 1977
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142109
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Cabinet - General, 1977
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Office of the Chief of Staff Files
Hamilton Jordan's Confidential Files
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Cabinet
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Cabinet-General, 1977
Folder Citation: Collection: Office of the Chief of Staff Files; Series:
Hamilton Jordan's Confidential Files; Folder: Cabinet-General, 1977;
Container 33
To See Complete Finding Aid:
http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/library/findingaids/Chief_of St
aff.pdf
THE WHITE not SE
WASHINGTON
10-11-77
To VP I Ham
Cabiret meeting a Hendance,
Please Comment-
J.C.
MR. PRESIDENT-
I agree with this arrangement.
Believe it is. in clusive # while of
tto some time siving you and Jack
flaxibility as to (conet attabac
T.P.
"DETERMINED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARXING
CANCELLED PER E.O. 12356, SEC. 1.3 AND
ARCHIVIST'S MEMO OF MARCH 16, 1983"
1 >Frook one 1 is -
all AMend & why & Allend
all 6to
Cabinet officers & UP
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ACTION
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Watson & Frank
Eizenstat
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Powell or Granum
Fordan or Butter
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Press
Lipskutz
Burne
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Mitchell
Moe
Ham- I think
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man
purposes." "Electrostatic reproduction made TO: preservation
RNAL, TUESDAY, SEPT. 6, 1977
White House Views of the Cabinet
By DENNIS FARNEY
even-and they still come to us and say,
quite as popular with White House staffers
WASHINGTON-TI biggest disappoint-
'He didn't really mean that, gripes a
as Mr. Andrus is. That's because Mr.
ment in Jimmy Carter's Cabinet is Brock
White House man Fairly or unfairly. here
Bergland got caught in the middle of a
Adams. the Secretary of Transportation.
is how they appear in the eyes of the White
Jimmy Carter vs. Congress fight over how
That's the consensus of White House
House staff.
much to spend on the new farm bill. He
men who sit in on Cabinet meetings and
Michael Blumenthal. Treasury: Carter
helped engineer a compromise and, as is
are deeply involved in administration poli-
ites apparently hoped the ex-Bendix Corp.
often the fate with compromisers, pleased
cymaking. They say Mr. Adams is drag-
chairman would be their counterpart to
neither side.
at
ging his feet on key presidential policies in
Gerald Ford's William Simon, a highly vis-
Ray Marshall. Labor: He is credited
er
his area such as airline deregulation-
ible bridge to the business community. In
with being on top of his department and in
sides that. says one of the President's men
this he's been "a disappointment," says
the good graces of his number one constitu-
the Transportation Secretary's "obse-
one. and "not forceful enough" in the view
ent, George Meany. But Mr. Marshall
quious" manner grates on Mr. Carter.
of another. Yet he's described as a man
wears his liberalism on his sleeve, which
The strongest Cabinet members are En-
who "doesn't will" in private policy de-
handicaps him with the moderately conser-
ergy Secretary James Schlesinger-after
bates with the President.
vative Carterites. Besides, he talks too
a.
Bert Lance, the closest to a presidential
Joseph Califano, HEW: The dynamics
much at Cabinet meetings. staffers say.
to
confidant in the Cabinet-and Defense Sec-
of the Califano-Carter relationship are the
retary Harold Brown. "The nicest by far"
Harold Brown. Defense: "Very bright
G
is Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus. The
and very good." is a typical assessment.
at
d
most irascible is Housing and Urban De-
The nicest is Interior
An intellectual dreadnought. capable of
1
velopment Secretary Patricia Harris, who
overwhelming most of his Cabinet col-
once dressed down a budget official while
Secretary Cecil Andrus. The
leagues in any test of logic, he's also
the President and the rest of the Cabinet
shrewd enough to avoid trying to over
looked on. Attorney General Griffin Bell
most irascible is Housing
whelm President Carter. Thus, although an
tells the best jokes, and the most improbe-
and Urban Development
advocate of the Bl bomber before taking
ble success is Health. Education and Wel-
office, be could support the President's de-
fare Secretary Joseph Califano, who en-
Secretary Patricia Harris.
cision to kill it without any outward sign of
ly
rages Carter aides but somehow manages
pain.
is.
to please the President.
Attorney General Griffin
Cyrus Vance. State: The benign. un-
These are arbitrary judgments, of
flappable Mr. Vance has had a run of bad
course. Yet they offer Insights into the
Bell tells the best jokes.
luck lately. notably a Middle East trip that
White House view of how one of Jimmy
failed to live up to advance expectations.
ly
Carter's grand experiments-"Cabinet ad-
most intriguing in the Cabinet. Right off
But White House men say he still has the
ey
ministration of our government"-Is work-
the bat, Mr. Califano strained relations
full confidence of the President. Before the
25
ing out
with the White House by hiring a Republi-
Secretary's recent trip to China the White
ey
The answer. suggests one White House
can to a major post, which caught political
House did make one tactical adjustment.
policymaker. is "better than any of the
aides by surprise and left them sputtering.
though: a deliberate effort to dampen pub-
53.
cynics. including myself. thought it would,
But Mr. Califano has turned out a prodi-
lic and press expectations, and thus avoid
at
but probably not as well as the President
gious amount of work-a welfare reform
a repetition of the Middle East experience.
thought."
plan. a departmental reorganization and a
Juanita Kreps, Commerce: Although
Expectations Very High
proposal to shore up the Social Security
bright and articulate, she's yet to rise
That means it must be working fairly
System. And to the President, who likes
above the limitations of her chronically
2
well. because Mr. Carter's expectations
deadlines and people who meet them. this
weak department. But she is perceived as
were very high. As he repeatedly promised
outweighs everything else.
trying, and already has collided with Mrs.
ey
during the campaign. policymaking in his
Griffin Bell, Attorney General: "Well.
Harris over who has jurisdiction over ur
of
White House would be far different than in
he's no Robert Kennedy." says one Carter-
ban economic development. And the Presi-
ply
Richard Nixon's White House, where a
ite. Not particularly vigorous. the ex-judge
dent's government reorganizers say she's
er
powerful presidential staff dictated to a
from Georgia comes across as "different
prepared to capitalize upon the reorganiza-
if
mostly docile Cabinet. Mr. Carter would
from all the rest," a man who sometimes
tion process by absorbing castoffs from
make the big decisions-he left no doubt
appears to be living in his own little world.
other departments.
ith
about that-but his staff would be small
another White House man observes. But
Hard-Driving, Impatient
and keep a low profile. Many policy ideas
Mr. Bell is completely at ease with his old
James Schlesinger. Energy: Legend has
be
would come from the Cabinet itself, and
friend, the President, and sometimes enli-
It that one reason Gerald Ford fired Jim
to
once the President had set policy, the Cabt-
vens Cabinet meetings with droll observa-
Schlesinger as Secretary of Defense was
les
net would execute it vigorously.
tions. At one meeting. he remarked that an
that Mr. Schlesinger never deigned to look
an
That was the theory. at any rate, and as
idea being discussed was the kind of thing
at him during Cabinet meetings. Instead.
events soon showed the President was
that works in practice but not in theory.
he looked at Henry Kissinger. as if to im-
&
deadly earnest about translating theory
Cecil Andrus, Interior: Everybody's
ply that his remarks would be lost on the
in
into practice.
nominee for the Cabinet's nicest person.
bumbling Mr. Ford. Carterites report that
Like a schoolmaster handing out home-
"Very smooth,' adroit, extraordinarily
Mr. Schlesinger does look at Jimmy Car-
or.
work. he directed his Cabinet Secretaries
pleasant and unassuming." says one White
ter. In fact. it's probably a mutual admira-
to
to give him. every Friday, typewritten
House staffer. Observes another: "He's the
tion society. because, of all the Cabinet
ay
summaries of what they are doing. Mr.
only one who may actually leave Washing-
members. he's temperamentally the most
Carter reviews the summaries over the
ton when all this is over and-this is most
like the President: hard-driving. impatient.
weekend. scribbling terse comments in the
unusual for a Cabinet officer-he actually
a man who believes everyone would share
margin 'Expedite," "Proceed," "Is this
tries to carry out the President's policies."
his lofty goals if only they understood the
ed
right?"). And by nine o'clock Monday
Patricia Harris, Housing and Urban De-
logic of them as well as he does.
morning. when the Cabinet files into the
velopment: A quick learner-with a lot to
Nevertheless. Mr. Schlesinger some-
un
sunny Cabinet Room overlooking the Rose
learn. "She rattles on and doesn't seem to
times goes out of his way to be deferential.
Garden. be is ready to bore in with de-
know anything in Cabinet meetings. says
"You're looking splendid today. sir," he in-
ay
tailed questions.
one presidential staffer. Mrs. Harris is
formed Mr. Carter at one joint news brief-
But the Cabinet Secretaries. who sit
credited with assembling an excellent
ing. Even in Jimmy Carter's "Cabinet ad-
around a long. battleship-shaped table,
staff. But she sometimes bores Cabinet
ministration." it's obvious that no one has
He
aren't equal in ability, nor are they equally
members by dwelling on minor matters
forgotten who the head administrator is.
cooperative in carrying out the President's
and repeating herself at Cabinet meetings.
wishes. ("He can send some of them
Bob Bergland, Agriculture: Another
Mr. Farney covers the White House for
memos-memos in his own handwriting,
low-key. unassuming, affable type-but not
the Journal